Apparatus for purifying used lubricating oil



1929- c. E. FELCH-BLAKE 1,723,023

APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING USED LUBRICATING OIL Filed March 3, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l VAPOR O U TL E T m awww ATTORNEY Aug. 6, 1929. c. E. FELCH-BLAKE 3 3 APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING USED LUBRICATING O IL File arch 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR $3 M 6? ATTORNEY 1929- c. E. FELcH-LAKE 1,723,023

APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING USED LUBRICATING OIL Filed March 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN ENTOR mfzM M TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

warren STATES CHARLES E. FELCH-BLAKE, OE HABANA, CUBA.

APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING USED LUBRICATING OIL.

Application filed March 3, 1925.

This invention relates to apparatus for tr ating oils for rectification, separation and purification purposes, and more particularly for the effectual treatment of the oily admixtures contained in the crank cases of automobile or analogous types of engines,

whereby the contaminated lubricating oil from the crank cases is continuously purified and rehabilitated and its valuable volatile fuel constituents reclaimed for conversion into useful energy.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the class described having a high degree of eflicieney.

ther objects will appear more fully in the following detailed description and appended claims.

The accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of my invention and modifications of certain of the parts or features thereof. Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view at the rear end of an automobile engine embodying the invention, portions being broken away in some instances to show the interior disposition of certain parts.

Figure 2 is an axial sectional view of the self-contained thermal rectifying unit shown at Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through the automatic vacuum controlled oil reservoir and filter unit shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 1 through the vapor and condensate receiving unit and suction or vacuum chamber shown in Fig. l; and

Figures 6, 7 and 8, are vertical sectional views of modifications of the rectifying unit.

Referring to Fig. 1, 10 designates the gas or fuel intake manifold of the engine and 11 the exhaust manifold for the spent hot gases and products of combustion. The exhaust manifold discharges into an exhaust line 12 which is shown as including a hollow inclined coupling element 18 having external upper and lower nipples 141 and respectively, providing threaded end openings.

lVithin this hollow coupling element 13 (Figs. 1 and 2) there is disposed one form of a thermal rectifying plug unit, the tubular casing wall of which is designated at 16. This unit, shown, extends vertically Serial No. 12,821.

through the hollow coupling element 13, with its upper end extending upwardly beyond the coupling element and surrounded by a coaxial short tube 17, the open lower end of which latter is threaded into the nip ple 14E while its upper end is provided with a cap or closure 18 through which the projecting end of the casing 16 passes snugly. The hollow upper interior of the casing 16 provides an elongated vapor collecting chamber 19, which is surrounded. by a cham ber 20 that is in direct communication at its lower end with the interior of the coupling element 13-01 the exhaust line. The upper end of the casing 16 is coupled and communicates with a pipe 21 which provides a c0nduit between the said elongated vapor collectin chamber 19 and the vacuum chamber communicating with the gas intake ianifold.

To the nipple 15 is threaded a hollow plug closure, embodying an axially bored shank s2 and head 23. The lower open end of the casing 16 is secured within the upper end of the shank 22 and the head 23 has threaded therein an axially bored plug 24 providing an outlet for the heated oil, said plug being connected with a conduit pipe 25 leading to the filter 3st to he hereinafter described.

The plug 2 1 has secured therein and co1nmunicates with the lower end of an openended oil conducting or guiding tube 26 which projects axially upwardly within the casing 16 sulficiently high to extend across the hollow coupling element 13, the tube 26 opening at its upper end into said casing 16. The external diameter of the tube 26, which has a. more or less restricted bore, substantially less than the interior diameter of the *asing 1G and the shank 22, and forms with the latter an annular oil inlet chamber 27. That portion of the tube or casing 26 which traverses the hollow coupling element 13 is. as shown, externally formed with a helical web 28 with the edge faces of its convolutions snugly fitting against. the interior surface of the casing wall 16, thus providing a helical spiral oil conveying passageway 29, the lower end of which communioates with the annular oil inlet chamber 27 and the upper end of which discharges into the casing 16 above. the tube 26.

The above described helical passage in the rectifier provides an oil conduit which is long and small in cross sectim'ial area; and

the constricted stream of the oil being treated has a long path through the highly heated engine exhaust and is very etlectively heated.

The contaminated oil inlet chamber 27 is supplied through the inlet aperture 30 to which is connected a pipe or conduit 31 leading from the interior of the crank cas chamber 32 and coiled around the exhaust pipe line 12. At its end arranged in the crank case, the pipe 31 is provided with a check control valve 33. In the pipe 31 the dirty oil is highly heated before it enters the rectifying zone, where it is further heated to a degree su'l'liciently high to cause the volatilization of the lighter hydrocarbons. It may not in practice he actually necessary to preheat the oil before entering the rectifying Zone; and where pro-heating is practiced, it may be accomplished by other pie-heating means than those shown. As a matter of fact, however, this pro-heating of the oil is very bonelicial for it lowers the viscosity of the oil and produces freerflow thereof to the rectifying zone.

Referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 4, 34L designates the outer casing shell of the automatic vacuum controlled oil reservoir and filter unit. This casing may be suitably attached to the engine by securing bands or straps indicated at 85. It is formed pressure tight and is provided near its upper end with a heated oil inlet tting 36, which is connected with the pipe 25. The inner end of the fitting 36'1nay be shielded by a downwardly projected spaced guard 89. The bottom of the container casing has an outlet valve or sediment cock 4.0.

Disposed within the container casing 34, and spaced from the bottom and peripheral wall thereof, is a hollow cylindrical member 41 forming a clear oil compartment. The member ll has a perforated cylindrical shell section a l of metal and capped by the detachablyallixed cove 45 of the container casing. Secured to the section llis a solid bottom 42, and the entire section all is covered externally by a suitable filtering fabric l3, such a piece of Chamois skin. The external chamois skin covering for member 41 may be detachably secured to the shell l-l by means of coacting crimping rings indicated at 4L7. The bottom 4-2 is provided with a clear oil outlet 48 in registration with a clear oil outlet fitting 49 secured to and passing through the wall of casing To the tit-tin g 49 is connected a return pipe 50 discharging into the crank case chamber 32. The discharge end of this return pipe 50 may be provided with an inclined outwardly opening flap valve 51.

In the shell section ll is a lioat 52 secured to the lower end of a coupling rod 53 which is connected at its upper end to a toggle-like leverage arrangement 54 which so automatiand 54th cally operates an air control valve 55 and a vacuum control valve 56 from the float 52 that when the one valve is opened the other is closed, the vacuum control valve being maintained open exceptwhen the float is in or near its up} ermost position and the air control valve being opened as the float ap proaches close to its uppermost position. To that end the leverage arrangement includes a lever 5% which is connected through link so with the lever 54. Pi voted to the. same fulcrum 5 f as the lever on is a lever 54; to which the valves are connected. A spring 5% connects the ends of levers 5-l' ll hen lever 5e in its lower position the swing 5%" is below the fulcrum. 5d and tends to hold the valve mechanism in the position shown. When the lever 5i is elevated sufliciently to raise the spring 56? above the s d fulcrum, the said spring elevates the lever 54?, thereby effecting the opening of valve 55 and the closing of valve 56. The valve 55 controls an inlet 5'? from the atmosphere and the valve 56 controls an outlet 58 which communicates by way of the pipe 59 with the vacuum impressing means at the gas inlet manifold.

This vacuun'i impressing or suction means includes chamber in the form of a closed vessel 60 (Figs. 1 and 5). This vessel is in communication with the gas intake manifold 10 the engine through a connection 61. It is provided with a depending internal tube 62 terminating a short distance above the bottom of the vessel, preferably with a daring end.

The upper end of the tube 62 has inlet connection 63 with the suction vapor pine 21 so that there are two vacuum impres lines leading to the common suction inlet 63 follows: the line 21 sci-vin as a vapor suction conduit and the line an suction conduit to exhaust within the shell 41.

The bottom of the vessel 60 has a vacuum controlled valved outlet 6% having a condensate drain pipe 65, for conveniently disposing of any condensates by conveying same to any suitable collection receptable or otherwise. The valvular control illustrated consists of a ball valve which is sucked up against an upper ported seat 66, when there is a vacuum in chamber 60 and which gravitates to an open seat 67, when tire vacuum the chamber is relieved.

It is to be especially noted that the construction and internal organism of the oil reservoir filter unit 3:, as coupled up with the several pipe lines, are such that the upper part of shell 44 provides a main vacuum control Zone 68 in which the vacuum is alternately established and relieved according to the movements of the float 52 above a filtered or clear oil zone 70. The

a vapor and condensate receiving lower portion of the casing 34 serves as the ascending oil passageway 29 of the thermalrectif-ying unit is directly located in the hot gas exhaust line from the engine, and that this spiral passageway affords an elongated path of travel for the contaminated lubricating oil, confined in a compact space in an intensive heating zone, for vaporizing the watery moisture in the oil and for vaporizing and recovering the volatile fuel constituents, such as gasohneand kerosene fractions,

that so deleteriously dilute the lubricating stock.

Referring now to the modifications of Figs. 6 to 8, the principles involved therein are practically identical with those of the self-contained rectifying unit of Figs. 1 and 2, and like elements are designated by the same reference numerals. In each of the modified forms the vapor collecting chamber 19 is a vessel mounted externally of the casing 76 having the spiral oil conveying passageway. Also, in these views, the rectifying units areshown as located directly in the exhaust manifold 11 instead of within exhaust pipe line 12, although obviously these specific units may be applied to the latter as well. The numeral indicates the exhaust outlet to the exhaust manifold from the last cylinder of the engines series, so that the hollow thermal rectifying unit with its spiral oil passage is always mounted at the hottest location, being disposed directly in the blast from the exhaust outlet from the last cylinder in the series and also in the common path of the combined exhausts from the remaining cylinders.

In Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, the rectifying unit has a tapered or conical thimble 76 corresponding to some extent to the lower half of the casing 16 in Figs. 1 and 2. The tapered or conical spiral web 28 fits within the thimble 76 and terminates a little short of the small end of the thimble, providing what may be conveniently termed a hollow superheat-ing tip or apex heating zone chamber 77 from which the oil tube 26 leads to chamber 19.

T he vessel 78 provides, in addition to the vapor collecting chamber 19, an oil receiving chamber 79 at the bottom of the vessel 78. The chamber 79 communicates with the pipe leading to the filter unit The vapor collecting chamber 19 is in communication with the vapor-suction conduit 21, as in Figs. 1 and 2. in Fig. 7 a drain plug 80 may be provided at the bottom of vessel 78. In all of the modifications shown in Figs. 6 to 8, the outlet end of the oil tube 26 discharges into the vessel 78 instead of directly to the fconduit- 25 as in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 7 the outlet end of the 'oil tube 26 discharges to a second tube 81 which extends downwardly through the vapor collecting chamber 19 and terminates at short distance above the bottom of the vessel 78 at a position below the outlet line 25.

In F ig. 8, the outlet line 25 communicates at the bottom of the vessel 78 with an upwardly extending short tube 82 functioning as an overflow for the oil chamber 79.

It will be seen that the modifications of Figs. 6, 7 and 8 simply illustrate differences in the form and coordination of the elements of the rectifying unit of Figs. 1 and 2, to PI'OVltlC-fOl' the application of the unit to some of the varying conditions under which it might be used, dependent, for example, upon the particular type of engine with whi h the unit is to be employed, but broadly the general operation of the various forms of rectifying unit shown is the same.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, when the float 52 is in its lowermost position, and until it has risen to near its uppermost position, the atmospheric control valve 55 is seated while the vacuum control valve 56 is unscated, the latter allowing communication through the pipe 59 between the vessel 60 and the vacuum control zone (38 in the filter The vessel (30 is also in communication, through the pipe 21, with the vapor collecting chamber 19. It follows that, when the engine is running, substantial vacuum heads will be established in the zones 19 and G8, owing to the exhausting action of the intake manifold 10. Thus an upwardly pulling force is exerted through the spiral passageway 29 causing the lubricating oil from the crank case 32 to circulate up the pipe 31. to the ani'iular inlet chamber 27 of the rectify ing unit, from whence it ascends the spiral passageway 29 and discharging over into the tube 26 passes in a thin stream through said tube (which has a relatively small cross sectional area) and is then conducted to the unit 34, by way of the conduit 25 and inlet fitting 36. From the unit- 84 it is automatically discharged periodically back to the crank case, after filtration, by way of the return pipe 50 in a manner hereinafter described.

As before explained, the oil before entering the rectifying zone may be preheated by its passage around the coiled section of the pipe 31; but in its lengthy tortuous ascent through the helical conduit 29, the incoming oil travels in a thin stream at a high velocity through the path of the hot gases from the engine and is intensively heated, whereby its volatile fuel. constit-uei'its and moisture are released from the lubricating oil. The fuel vapors and steam rise into the vapor collecting chamber 19, being themselves further intensively heated by the encompassing (h amber 20. Thereupon the said vapors and steam aredrawn through the conduit 21 into the vessel to be finally sucked into the gas lntake manifold 10 of the engine still in a highly heated commingled state, thereby promoting a better combustible mixture as is Upon the release of the vacuous head withinthe vessel 60, however, when the engine stops running, the ball valve (3st will gravitate to the open seat (57 to permit any condensates that may have collected to be drained out automatically through the pipe 65.

As the upper inside of the shell 41 is a vacuum zone, during the time that the valve 56 is open, there is a tendency to suck oil from the chamber 71, through the filter wall 4243, into the clear oil chamber and hence the hot oil in the chamber 71 will freely percolate through the filter wall, the texture of the chamois skin excluding the passage of insoluble foreign matter a well as repelling water, if indeed there be any water left in the oil.

The fiap valve 51 is held closed by the pressure of the oil in the sump plus atmospheric pressure which is sufiicient to prevent fiitered oil flowing through the outlet- 4;8-49 While a vacuum is maintained in the upper portion of the chamber 70. As soon as the fioat 52 rises sufiiciently high the valves 55 and 56 will be respectively automatically opened and closed by the lever arrangement tit; and, air being admitted through the inlet 57, the vacuum in the chambers 68 and 69 will be destroyed, so that the rectified and filtered oil in the chamber 70 will then how out through the outlet 4-849 and the return pipe 50 to the crank case. At the same time a small portion of the clear oil will be exuded through the filter bed in a direction the reverse to that of its entry into the clear oil chamber. This action will clean out the pores of the. filter bed and precipitate any accinnulated matter attempting to cake on its exterior surface, the filter functioning automatically to clean itself. This manifestly is of great iinportance in any attempt to carry out a continu ous circulatimg' oil treating system of the character set forth.

From the prior detailed description of Figs. 6 to 8, taken in connection with the above description of the operation of the de vice shown in Figs. 1 to 5, it is believed that the functioning of the modifications of Figs. 6 to 8 will be clearly understood. It is to be understood that I am not limited to the exact details shown and described, and that modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, wnat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An apparatus for purifying used lubricating oil comprising an element adapted to be mounted in the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, means for supporting said element from the wall of said exhaust pipe, said element having a fluid circulating conduit including a winding passageway for "the intlowing fluid. in communication with a return passageway, both of said passageways being of relatively small cross sectional area.

2. An apparatus for purifying used lubricating oil comprising a plug element adapted to be mounted in the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, means for supporting said element to the wall of said exhaust pipe, said element having an oil circulating conduit embodying a winding passageway for the incoming oil in communication with a return passageway.

23. An apparatus for purifying used lubricating oil comprising a plug element adapted to be mounted in the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, means for supporting said element to the wall of said exhaust pipe, said plug element having an oil circulating conduit including an outer winding passageway for the incoming oil and an inner return passageway for the oil.

4. An apparatus for purifying used lubricating oil comprising an element adapted to be arranged in the exhaust pipe ofan internal combustion engine, means for supporting said element from the wall of said exhaust pipe, said element having a rela tively long'internal oil circulating conduit including an incoming oil, passageway communicating with a return passageway, the

' former passageway being helically disposed around the latter passageway, both of said passageways being of relatively small cross sectional area.

5. An apparatus for purifying used lubricating oil comprising an element adapted to be arranged in the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, means for supporting said element from the wall of said exhaust pipe, said element having a rela tively long internal oil circulating conduit including an incoming oil passageway communicating with a return passageway, the former passageway being arranged in a tapered helix around the latter passageway, both of said. passageways being of relatively small cross sectional area.

6. An apparatus for purifying used lubricating oil comprising a plug element adapted to be secured in the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, means for supporting for the incoming oil and an inner return pas sageway for the oil.

7. An apparatus tor purifying used lubrieating oil including a member having a longitudinal passageway therethrough and provided with a spiral web, and a casing su rounding said member and engaging the periphery of said web, whereby a winding passageway is formed between said casing and member, said passageways being in communication with each other through the interior of said casing.

8. An apparatus for purifying used lubricating oil including a member iaving a longitudinal pass geway therethrough and provided with a tapered spiral web and a tapered casing surrounding said member and engaging the periphery of said web, whereby a winding passageway is formed between said casing and member, said passageways being in communication with each other through the interior of said casing.

9. An apparatus for purifying used lubricating oil comprising a member having a longitudinal passageway therethrough and having a winding groove cut in its surface, a shell in contact with the surface of said member forming with the walls of said groove a winding passageway, means for supplying oil to said winding passageway and means for withdrawing oil from said longitudinal passageway.

10. An apparatus for purityi ng used lubricating oil comprising a shell, a hollow me1uher arranged within said shell, a continuous projection extending from said member and contacting with said shell to form a winding passageway and means to supply oil to said winding passageway and to withdraw oil through said member.

11. An apparatus for purifying the lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine having an exhaust pipe, said apparatus comprising a shell, means for supporting said shell within said exhaust pipe, and a helical passageway for oil through said shell, said shell forming a part of the wall of said passageway.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GHARLES E. FELCH-BLAKE. 

